Real Estate

Five-star in Florida

Miromar is essentially a private 1,800-acre resort, with homes lining its 900 acres of freshwater lakes. The clubhouse has been voted No. 1 in the U.S.

Photograph by: Handout photo
, Miromar Lakes Beach and Golf Club

I am surrounded by silence. And yet, here I am in urban southwest Florida, a mile east of the I-75 near Fort Myers. A few minutes ago, I was driving along Highway 41, that stop-and-start roadway fraught with signage, traffic lights, noise and distraction. A couple of left-hand turns later, and I wonder if I've gone through a Floridian rabbit hole. Instead of staccato street lights and strip malls, I follow an allee of banyan trees so perfectly spaced the autumn sun creates a piano-key rhythm of light and shadow. Next turn, I meet a parallel phalanx of 70-foot royal palms, guarding a 90-foot-diameter Italianate stone fountain depicting the four seasons. I explain my presence to security at the gatehouse, and the enormous iron gates silently swing open. I wend past white-curtained cabanas on a white-sand beach, past more precise landscaping, and alight at Miromar Lakes Beach and Golf Club.

That was quite magical, I think to myself, and find that the spell lasts past mere first impressions. Clearly, as Miromar is winner of more than 100 national and regional awards, including this year's biggie, No. 1 Community in the United States, I'm not the only one enchanted. That's a lot of love in less than 10 years.

Begun in 2002, Miromar is essentially a private 1,800-acre resort, with homes lining its 900 acres of freshwater lakes. While a Miromar lifestyle offers such warm-weather activities as golfing, tennis and even water-skiing, the real magic happens in the gathering spots; I see the place come to life early one evening in the bar and the 200-seat fine-dining room (unlike most clubs, this has no monthly food minimum), as both spaces fill with chatty, cheery (and well-jewelled and-coiffed) folk of all ages.

Forty-eight per cent of the owners live at Miromar full-time, and the rest vacation here — year-round — from around the U.S. and 11 other countries, with the largest contingent from Canada. According to Brian Ellis, vice-president of Florida Home Finders of Canada, 70% of buyers from the Greater Toronto Area buy along the state's west coast.

"Friends bring friends," Victor Spina, director of sales, tells me as we tour the site. "There are different levels of wealth at Miromar, with a variety of options for everyone's needs. But the thing is, once you're all at a social event, everyone's the same."

There are professional sports players living here, dozens of doctors and business owners, young families and retirees. They're all after the same thing: the ease of living, and pride, that comes from what is essentially a resident-owned five-star resort.

The sublime view from one of the homes, where the lake can be seen beyond the infinity pool.

The mesmerizing architecture in the dining room.

The good life begins at the clubhouse, named No. 1 Club House in the U.S. The heavy double custom glass-and-bronze front doors have the heft of those on a Florentine palazzo; here, they open to an interior space that's palatial in scale but domestic in comfort. Discreet concierge desks, brilliant chandeliers and original artwork create a veritable living room (tucked nearby: a library, a 50-seat theatre, a billiards room, and conference rooms complete with fireplaces). Past the dining room and bar, the large terrace skirts the 210-foot-long infinity pool, which seems to meld into Lake Como.

Babies splash in the beach-entry shallow end while some older gents soak in the deep end, gazing over the lake (perhaps dreaming of the fish they'll catch this evening).

Poolside, glasses are refilled, al fresco lunches served. To the right is the entry to the private gym and full luxury spa (where a fabulous facial lulls me into a state of serenita), and next to this is the open-air Blue Water Beach Grill pavilion, another hub of Miromar's vibrant social scene. Its neighbour is the pristine Marine Center, where staff have all manner of lake activities up their sleeves, from kayaking, sailboating and motorboating to fishing and kite-flying. For solitary moments, the cabanas just beyond offer comfy places to crash.

That long stretch of social infrastructure comprises the 39,000-square-foot Beach Club area, home to 300-plus activities, including art shows, charity events, wine and food-pairing seminars, on-site continuing education classes (Florida Gulf Coast University is a friendly neighbour), and even family Olympics on the beach.

It's no mirage, this ocean-style beach on an inland lake. "I wanted a mile of beach," says developer Margaret Antonier, "so I had the sand brought in from central Florida. When it was done, I wanted another mile. Then another. And from the beginning they all told me it couldn't be done. But now look at it!"

In fact, Antonier, a Montrealer, says, "people thought it would be impossible to build my vision here. I wanted to bring the Riviera here — its beaches, boardwalks, architecture and its lifestyle."

The naysayers have been proved wrong, evident not only by the shelves of awards in the trophy case, but by the fact that 940 homes have been built so far, all in the Mediterranean style. And, stippled among the bays and inlets of the 250-acre Lake Como and the 450-acre Lake Maggiore are new home sites in various stages of development. Miromar (miromarlakes.com) sees 10 more years of growth in various phases, with each limited to a very small number of homes. A mix of detached, multi- and single-family homes abound in neighbourhoods with such nomi aproprie as Montebello, Murano, Portofino and Isola Bella.

Such names set me dreaming. At Bellini, I could have a full-floor condo. Ah, but if I wanted that with a private boathouse and elevator, it'd be Ravenna. I have fond memories of the real Sorrento, so maybe I'd build a 5,000-square-foot house at this Sorrento, one with an infinity pool overlooking the lake.

Because of the wide variety of home types available, residences have a price range of $500,000 US to more than $5 million US.

According to Spina, only about five per cent of existing Miromar homes are on the resale market at any time — and about 85 per cent of those are bought by other Miromar owners, who want to upsize, downsize or change neighbourhoods. They're clearly in thrall with the development, too.

And because there's a variety of home choices, there's a concomitant choice of whether to have a pool, a dock, a garden or just a balcony. Maintenance is available for any option, as desired. With one phone call, you can have someone booked to tidy up the yard while you enjoy a peaceful, private catered sunset cruise, leaving from your back door. Now that's a special magico.

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